1. Field of the Invention
A dental care kit assembly including a container having predetermined, reduced size configuration and a plurality of operative components including dental floss, a cleaning implement, etc. for the practice of dental hygiene at almost any location or environment where a conventional toothbrush or other dental hygiene facilities are typically not available.
2. Description of the Related Art
The problems associated with maintaining proper dental hygiene in a variety of locations where conventional cleaning implements, such as a toothbrush, etc. are not commonly available, are widespread. In addition to the general population, those individuals being fitted with some type orthodontic appliance, such as braces, may encounter unusual difficulty in maintaining the desired quality of dental hygiene. Known attempts to overcome such problems generally include the combined packaging of items such as dental floss, one or more additional cleaning instruments, a supply of dentifrice, etc. In many cases such dental care products are collectively assembled in a consolidated package in order to make such hygiene assemblies more convenient for use. However, the vast majority of known assemblies of this type are still relatively bulky and are commonly associated with a package or container which stores or contains the various components in the same compartment or areas.
One problem associated with packaging of the type described above is a likelihood of contamination of all of the dental care products if and when at least one of such products, such as a cleaning instrument, has been utilized and replaced in the package. Also, while the provision of dental floss is common practice in such dental hygiene assemblies, it is normally provided in a relatively small quantity such as a single strand. Moreover, when provided, the strand of dental floss is frequently stored in an area where removal of a segment of such strand, having a preferred length, is difficult if not impossible. Accordingly a user is forced to use substantially the entire strand and then discard the strand after use. Moreover, if more than one dental floss strand is provided, the strands may be packaged in a common area and not sufficiently separated or independently mounted to prevent tangling thereof.
It is also well known, to use some type of cleaning instrument which frequently resembles at least a portion of a conventional toothbrush at least in terms of function if not specific structure. Such a cleaning implement has been known to take a variety of different structural embodiments including various devices which fit on or about one or more fingers of the user. A cleaning segment of such implement may be in the form of outwardly directed bristles, cleaning materials or the like which are intended to come into direct contact with the teeth and gums of the user. While intended for only temporary use, such cleaning instruments have been recognized as being generally inefficient, especially when it is intended to combine or add to such implements a dentifrice in the form of a gel, paste, power, etc.
When assemblies and the various products of the type set forth above are utilized, the user frequently enjoys minimal benefits in terms of adequate dental hygiene and often must endure a messy and ineffective procedure in attempting to reach the various areas of the teeth and gums required to be cleaned. Also, use of such known and conventional dental hygiene assemblies typically requires the various components to be discarded immediately after use in order to avoid contamination of all of the commonly packaged components even when only one of such components has been used.
Accordingly, based on the above recognized problems associated with such known dental hygiene assemblies, there is a need in this area for an improved dental care assembly, which is preferably provided or made available in a kit format. Such an improved or preferred dental care kit assembly should include operative components which are structured for efficient use and preferably contained or packaged in separate or segregated areas of a container. Also, the various structural and operative components of a preferred dental care kit assembly should be particularly adapted to facilitate the cleaning of the mouth of individuals having various types of orthodontic appliances. At the same time, the operative and structural components of a preferred and improved dental care kit assembly should be capable of providing the desired degree of dental hygiene to those users without any type of orthodontic appliances.
The container should be of a reduced size and configuration and more preferably correspond to the size of a credit card. Such an improved dental care kit assembly could therefore be located within any convenient place on a person""s clothing, wallet, purse, etc. As such an improved dental care kit assembly could be used in almost any location where a toothbrush or other conventional hygiene products are not conveniently available. Further, the various operative components contained within the improved dental care kit assembly would be sufficient in quantity and uniquely structured so as to serve one or more users without fear of contamination of the remaining unused components or remaining quantities thereof.
In addition, a preferred and improved dental care kit assembly, of the type described in greater detail hereinafter, could be structured to be disposable after a single or limited use of the various components associated therewith. Alternatively, the improved assembly could be structured to have a more extended operable life, wherein its various components could be repeatedly used and subsequently stored in segregated locations, thereby eliminating the fear of contamination between users. Also such an improved dental care kit assembly could include at least some operative components which are structured for a single use and disposal thereafter. Such xe2x80x9creplaceablexe2x80x9d components would then be replaced by new components and stored in the aforementioned container, especially when the container and the remainder of the dental care kit assembly is intended for repeated or extended use.
Also, the structural features and/or the materials from which the container and the operative components are formed should be inexpensive, whether the dental care kit assembly is intended for disposal after limited use or for a more extended operable life. Finally, the container should have sufficient structural integrity to resist folding, collapse or other manipulation which would derogatorily effect or damage the operative components or the container itself.
The present invention is directed to a dental care assembly preferably provided in a kit format which is structured to be either disposable after limited use or capable of being used repeatedly for a period of time. The versatility of the dental care kit assembly is significantly enhanced by the structuring thereof to include a predetermined, reduced size configuration. Accordingly, a preferred embodiment, to be described in greater detail hereinafter, closely resembles the overall dimension and configuration of a conventional credit card, debit card or like structure.
More specifically, the dental care kit assembly of the present invention comprises a container preferably having a flat configuration characterized by a significantly reduced thickness. The thickness of the container is primarily dictated by the dimension and configuration of the operative components contained therein. Therefore, the predetermined, reduced size configuration enables the entire kit assembly to be carried in a variety of convenient locations on the person of the user or within a purse, wallet, etc. typically carried by a user.
In order to provide a user with proper dental care and/or hygiene, the aforementioned operative components of which the kit assembly is comprised should be such as to provide adequate cleaning of the user""s teeth, mouth, etc. whether or not the user is fitted with one or more orthodontic appliances. As such, the various operative components contained in or supplied with the kit assembly of the present invention include at least one supply of dental floss. The dental floss supply may include one or more dental floss strands removably mounted on a spool or like structure. In turn, the spool is rotatably disposed within a specific area or compartment of the container. Segments of the dental floss strand are easily removed from the container and the rotatable spool through the provision of an appropriately located access assembly associated with the reduced size container.
In addition, the dental care kit assembly of the present invention comprises a cleaning implement which is structured to facilitate the brushing, polishing or other cleaning procedure on the teeth and gums. At the same time, the cleaning implement should be adapted to clean the mouth, teeth, etc, of a user wearing braces or other orthodontic appliances As such, the cleaning implement includes a handle portion and at least one, but in certain embodiments of the present invention, a plurality of cleaning heads. The one or more cleaning heads comprise a plurality of bristles or other cleaning material and are each removably secured to the handle portion in an operative position. When assembled, the handle portion and the cleaning head secured thereto allow at least a temporary cleaning action to be performed on the teeth and/or gums, such as after a meal or snack, particularly when the use of a conventional toothbrush is not convenient or possible. To facilitate frequent and convenient use of the cleaning implement, it is maintained within the preferred reduced size and configuration parameters which enable the container to have the aforementioned predetermined, reduced size configuration.
In certain preferred embodiments of the present invention, each of a plurality of cleaning heads are maintained in a substantially segregated relation to one another as well as the exterior of the container, thereby assuring that each of the cleaning heads are clean and/or have not been previously used. After use each of the cleaning heads may be discarded to avoid reuse and the possible contamination associated therewith. Also a single dental care kit assembly incorporating a plurality of cleaning heads may be utilized by different users, each choosing a different cleaning head which is maintained in segregated and possibly sterile environment prior to use.
Another feature of the kit assembly of the present invention comprises an access assembly cooperatively structured with the container so as to allow independent access to and removal of various components or contents of the container which define the care kit assembly. More specifically, the access assembly may include a plurality of different access structures each providing access to at least one area or compartment of the container. Further, the plurality of access structures are disposed and dimensioned to facilitate independent access to the different types of components.
By way of example, at least one of the plurality of access structures is disposed substantially adjacent the at least one dental floss supply and is structured to allow removal of dental floss strand segments of various lengths from the rotatable spool. In addition, a stop member may comprise a part of the first access structure or be directly associated therewith. As such, a strand segment exiting the container, once separated from the rotatable spool, may be severed by minimal forced engagement with the stop member which may include a severing portion thereon. Similarly, as will be described in greater detail hereinafter, others of the plurality of access structures defining the access assembly are disposed to allow independent access to the handle portion and/or one or more cleaning heads defining the cleaning implement.
Accordingly, the dental care kit assembly of the present invention is specifically structured to provide sufficient dental hygiene to one more users in a convenient manner and in almost any environment or location due at least in part to its preferred, predetermined, reduced size configuration. Also, as set forth above, the various components of the dental care kit assembly, as well as the container thereof may be produced from an inexpensive, disposable material thereby allowing the entire kit assembly and/or the various components thereof to be individually or collectively discarded after use. Alternatively, the container and the various operative components contained therein may be intended for a more prolonged and/or repeated use until the various operative components, such as the dental floss supply has been depleted.